Friday Night Leftovers on Saturday Again

I think this is the longest stretch I've gone without posting. I started a post last weekend, but it never made it out of my drafts folder. Sigh. Three more days until vacation. Hoping that gives me back a bit of my sanity, and I can get back into the swing of things.

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After weeks (months?) of Sh.awn doing well in school, they called us on Thursday to pick him up before the end of the school day. His regular aide was not there that day and there was apparently not an aide to replace her. (Don't get me started.)

Anyway, he had a woman they found off the street periodically helping him, but she had a heavy accent, was hard to understand, and didn't stay with him the entire time. Poor Sh.awn lost his shit. A second person they brought in to try to help him calm down was unsuccessful. So was his teacher. They called us to get him about an hour before the end of the day.

To say I was disheartened was an understatement. My poor boy. I felt so bad that he was so frustrated to the extreme that he was. :(

The teacher and I emailed back and forth and came up with a plan for the next day should his aide be out again. Is.aac also had gone in earlier than normal so he could go over some things with a replacement aide if there was one. (It's hard, because we don't know his aide will be gone until they arrive in the morning.) His teacher sent me this yesterday afternoon:

Shawn had a fantastic day today. (His aide) was out again, but we have done some problem solving on site to help with a change in aides. It was so helpful to have another site aide come into the room to give the sub aide a run down of how things worked. As a result, I was able to really focus on where Sh.awn needed to be and what academics he needed to work on with us. It's interesting because I'd say yesterday was one of the worst days, but today was one of his best!

Man, I am so thankful for this teacher. She is pretty amazing.

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Academically, the boys are doing so well! Sh.awn is right where he should be and is sounding out words and reading simple books. He's understanding and doing well on the concepts they are working on in class. I am so proud of him!

Ja.son just about blew me away when he read Little Blue Truck to me Thursday night. I only helped him with a handful of words (words like "neigh" and "couldn't") as he read. Other than that, he rocked that book. Plus, he's decided that he must be the one to read me his homework directions for each page. He reads it all with little to no help, understands it, and applies what he's read. It has been awesome to see! When I told the teacher about Ja.son's reading the directions, I had to laugh at her response:

It is exciting news to hear Ja.son is reading directions. Just so you know, I often change the directions on our math work, so I'm taking this news as a warning that Ja.son will soon be working according to the directions, or he will be calling me out on the differences. Either way, it's a huge milestone, and I look forward to him figuring out the change!!!

Ha! It made me laugh. I can totally picture Ja.son telling her that she isn't doing the work "right."
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I am slowly plugging away at my Christmas shopping. I think I have the boys mostly covered. Jack still needs a gift from Santa and the big boys need a shirt a piece. I think other than that, they are done.

I am struggling with what to get for Is.aac. If he doesn't figure out something different soon, he's going to get the old standby of clothes. It's not very exciting, but at least it's something, I guess.

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We are in the middle of yet another round of Sick. This one seems to be on the milder side, thankfully, but I am freaking tired of all of this. I hate that they are constantly sick. Besides, I know it is just a matter of time before I succumb to the germs myself.

Blah.

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I sent in my post for the Crème de la Crème. Yeah! Any guesses as to which one I sent?

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Three more days of school until vacation. Then I am free until the 6th. I. can't. wait!

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I finally got our Christmas cards! I love them! Now if they would only address and put themselves in envelopes, I would be in business.

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Stop by Danifred's for more Leftovers.